Getallen 1878

Editor: This drawing, titled "Getallen," meaning numbers, was created by Willem Witsen around 1878. It's graphite and pencil on paper and seems like a study, maybe preparatory notes. The scattered numbers create this…almost ghostly feeling across the surface. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The ghostliness you perceive is apt. Numbers, though seemingly objective, carry immense subjective weight. Think of how cultures have long imbued specific numbers with mystical properties—seven for luck, thirteen for misfortune. Here, Witsen might be exploring that very tension between cold calculation and the irrational. Editor: So, you’re suggesting these numbers are not just random scribbles? Curator: Precisely. Consider the act of writing itself. Each numeral, a symbolic stand-in for a concept, meticulously rendered by hand. In pre-digital societies, the hand was powerfully linked to the self; imbuing any markings with an inescapable personal signature and perhaps something more in this instance. Do you sense any other marks, beyond just the numbers? Editor: Now that you mention it, the paper itself seems marked and worn, like it’s been handled a lot, aged even. Does that play into the interpretation? Curator: Absolutely. Paper carries its own history – of production, handling, and usage. The visible wear and tear invite us to ponder how these numbers might have been used, for what purpose. Are they inventory, calculations, secret codes? Witsen is inviting us to decode not just numbers, but also their possible emotional and historical meanings. Editor: It’s fascinating how seemingly simple numbers can unlock so many avenues of inquiry. It makes me look at this in a completely new way. Curator: Indeed, every image whispers its stories, both visible and concealed. The most intriguing art often leaves us with more questions than answers.